Horrifying figures: Only two in 100 child sexual abuse victims report it

Due to the closeness of the victim to the abuser, only two children out of a hundred decide to break the silence and seek protection from the authorities. In Greece, 16% of children are victims of sexual abuse in some form.

Deputy Minister of Tourism Elena Rapti, at the scientific conference “Local Government and Civil Society – Volunteering, Youth, Mental Health and Social Synergy”, special coordinator for combating child abuse and exploitation, says:

“Today, every fifth child in Europe is a victim of some form of sexual abuse. In Greece, according to a study by the Institute of Child Health, the percentage is 16%. This means that we must act quickly and effectively, because this form of abuse has a special feature: the perpetrators are from a familiar environment. The rest suffer the abuse in silence.”

Conference, writes CNN Greece, co-organized by the Municipality of Thessaloniki and AMKÈ IASI as part of the Connected We Stand 2024 festival. Ms. Rapti spoke about National Action Plan to Combat Sexual Violence and the One in Five campaign. She stressed that a lot of work is being done and that thematic material in accordance with the instructions and guidelines of the Council of Europewith fairy tales and animated stories that convey all the useful messages to children, parents and the older generation.

The main characters of the educational material are Nicky, Victor and Veronica. The animated stories tell about Nicky, who says “no” to a person she trusts, but he asks to touch the place where her underwear is; about Victor, who is sexually harassed by a 16-year-old and turns to a teacher for help; about Veronica, a student in a wheelchair, who is sexually harassed by a stranger and turns to the police station for help. Ms. Rapti notes:

“This makes it easier for children to find the strength to speak up because they are informed and they know what is right and what is wrong, they know what is bad and what is good.”

She mentioned that in juvenile departments, children who have been molested testify, for example, that a certain person “touched them badly.” When asked by a police officer “what is a bad touch,” they answer that it is in the place where the underwear is, and note that they know this from Nika, Viktoras, and Veronica.

“Efforts are being made,” Elena Rapti noted, and in the context of the policy being promoted, she stressed the need for the child to testify once, so as not to relive the incident.

Welcoming the work of the conference, Greek Deputy Minister of Health Dimitris Vartzopoulos stressed that The real operational lever of the welfare state throughout Europe and in Greece are the social services of the municipalities – they bring the citizen into contact with the state.

Regarding the cooperation with IASI, he spoke about innovative pilot actions to prevent and punish offenses. He noted that Mobile units will try to standardise contacts with social services, the parental movement, associations and the local community so that incidents can be quickly identified and victims referred to where more substantial psychosocial support can be provided.

Welcoming the conference participants, Thessaloniki Mayor Stelios Angeloudis noted that public administration should replace many civil society initiatives. Thessaloniki Municipality has three volunteer structures, and In January, a structure to combat crime and violence among minors will begin operating. The structure for young people is already being built, and next month two social clinics will be open in cooperation with various volunteer organizations such as Doctors of the World.

Co-founder and CEO of AMKE IASI Nikos Baltas noted that the Connected We Stand conference brings together local government and civil society. Melina Dermentzopoulou, Deputy Governor for Health and Social Solidarity, spoke about the efforts of the Central Macedonia Region in the social sector, and Deputy Commander of the 3rd Ministry of Health Michalis Kupkas noted that With the new law on psychological assistance, a new era begins.

The Mayor of Neapolis Sykeona, Simos Danielides, noted that a number of structures and services have been created and are operating in the municipality that support children, adolescents, families, and teachers. Most of them are supported by the prevention center of the municipality of Pyxida. He emphasized the need to continue its operation after 2027, when the relevant contracts of prevention centers throughout Greece expire.

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